Wake up, people. No, seriously. Stretch. Splash some water on your face. Because Mark Cuban and LeBron James might’ve just said the one thing nobody in NBA boardrooms wants to hear. The game? It’s too long. And maybe, just maybe… It’s kind of broken.
On Pod Save America, Cuban lobbed a truth bomb with perfect billionaire clarity: “By reducing the length of the game, I think we would solve a lot of the injury problems and I think we’d also make the game more watchable.” Translation? Maybe the NBA doesn’t need load management, maybe it needs a complete rethink. And it’s not just Cuban calling for the basketball equivalent of a software update.
LeBron James, a man who has played more minutes than the sun has hours, is echoing the same sentiment. In his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, the 40-year-old Laker didn’t hold back his words. He called for NBA games to shrink from 48 to 40 minutes and threw in another twist: let defenders legally goaltend FIBA-style once the ball hits the rim.
“The 40-minute game is intriguing. Because the game happens so damn fast… And there’s no easing into an international game. That gives it a little bit more of a sense of urgency,” LeBron explained. He’s not wrong. Compare the chaos of Olympic basketball to some of the NBA’s marathon matchups, and you’ll see exactly what he means. No warm-ups, no pacing — just chaos, urgency, and stakes from the jump. Even Adam Silver has flirted with the idea of shorter games.
But when LeBron James speaks, it doesn’t just land on Twitter. It lands on agendas. His voice, as the league’s north star for over two decades, carries the weight of seasons, injuries, and the undeniable truth of age. It’s no coincidence that these comments come after a postseason that left fans and players alike feeling… exhausted.
The 2025 playoffs were more whimper than bang. Tyrese Haliburton limping through Game 7 was heartbreaking, yes… but what if it could’ve been preventable? The Pacers didn’t lose to OKC because of strategy. They lost because their legs gave out. And fans? They felt it too. While the viewership was up 10% from last year, the fans were very evidently frustrated with the shenanigans of Adam Silver’s dynasty, and well, King James clearly heard it. But of course, proposing a change to a 48-minute format is like asking the Louvre to trim the Mona Lisa.
Is LeBron about to break the NBA?
The NBA’s history is built on these numbers — Wilt’s 100, Kobe’s 81, MJ’s 63. All in 48. Change the frame, and you change the painting. Still, LeBron’s argument isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about survival, people. He’s played in more games than any player in NBA history. He’s lived through rule changes, lockouts, bubble basketball, and now? Maybe he’s signaling the next frontier.
Nov 15, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Then there’s his second pitch: adopt the FIBA goaltending rule. “I’ve been very intrigued with the goaltending rule. I actually love it. It’s exciting. It doesn’t happen as much as you would think,” James noted. In theory, it levels the playing field for defenders, especially in an era where offense has skyrocketed and rim protection has lagged behind. The NBA has long been an offense-friendly league.
But this tweak could restore some defensive balance… and drama. Think tip-ins in crunch time, chaotic rebounds, and big men with actual license to hunt the rim instead of waiting like statues. Now, would fans embrace fewer minutes? Would ticket prices stay the same? Could stats from two eras be fairly compared?
These are the ripple effects that give purists night sweats. But what if LeBron, who’s still averaging 24.4 points deep into his 40s… is onto something? What if we’re clinging to a version of basketball that’s hurting the very stars we pay to watch? Because the thing is, if LeBron’s body, with all its cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers, is waving the yellow flag, imagine what it’s doing to the average player.
The ones without the million-dollar regimens. The ones still climbing. And the future faces of the league. Mark Cuban saw it. LeBron James is saying it. Now the question is: will Adam Silver and the rest finally listen?
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